Emergency Medicine (Basic)
1 day
Abdominal Aortic Ultrasound Course
ASUM, ACEM, ACRRM, RACGP
Course highlights
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
Course Dates
Description
Ruling out Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) is common in the emergency department. As there is a high mortality rate with ruptured AAA, it is a medical urgency to exclude a AAA. Ultrasound may be used rapidly to rule out a AAA and affect management decisions such as sending the patient for further testing such as CT. In the shocked patient, transport to CT is a major undertaking. Point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) enables easier risk stratification of a patient to safely direct their care.
After a machine familiarisation session and sono-anatomy lesson, you will be taught how to acquire a set of scans that adequately rule out a large AAA. The abdominal ultrasound course will include ultrasound machine optimisation including tips and traps and anatomy familiarisation on real patient models. Throughout the day you will practice the skill on patients and learn what to do for the more challenging body habitus. By the end of the day you should be able to scan, identify and interpret a set of scans to support your clinical decision.
Although acquisition of a diagnostically adequate scan set is the first necessary competency along the path to mastery, it is not expected that you will become an expert in a day. This one-day course is about learning what you don’t know, what you need to know and what you need to practice safely.
Who should attend?
- Emergency Physician
- General Physician
- General Practitioner
- General Surgeon
- Geriatrician
- ICU Registrar
- Junior House Officer
- Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
- Paediatrician
- Palliative Medicine Physician
- Retrieval Medicine Physician
- Rural Generalist
- Senior House Officer
Objectives
The objectives of this abdominal ultrasound course are:
- Identify the parameters of safe application of ultrasound and its limitations in medical diagnosis;
- Identify the physical principles, artefacts and the steps for image optimisation while performing ultrasound;
- Practice hands-on ultrasound scanning skills required to maximise diagnostic ability in answering relevant clinical questions;
- Recognise the sonographic appearances of normal and abnormal structures required to answer common clinical questions;
- Identify and scan and abdominal aorta in longitudinal and transverse;
- Identify and scan peripheral and central vessels such as IVC;
- Acquire images obtained on normal adult volunteers;
- Interpret images from normal adult volunteers;
- Recognise the variants and abnormalities from presentations and case-based learning;
- Document the ultrasound findings.
Accreditation
ASUM
ASUMCCPU units included in the course:
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)
ACEM
ACEMCourse 017 is approved for 7.5 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours as complying with ACEM standards and policies.
ACRRM
ACRRMThis course is approved for 9 total activity hours. PDP units: 9 Educational Activity. Grant eligibility: Emergency Medicine, Anaesthetics, Obstetrics, Surgery.
RACGP
RACGPCPD Approved Activity under RACGP 2023-25 CPD program. Approved for Educational Activities 2 hours, Reviewing Performance 6.5 hours, specific requirements diagnostic radiology, 1 days Anaesthetics, Obstetrics, Surgery and Emergency Medicine training grants. Provider Number 214288, Activity ID 402519.
HOURS
| Theoretical | 1.75 |
| Practical | 4.75 |
| Total | 6.5 |
CATERING
Morning tea, a light lunch and refreshments are provided.